


A Hard Night's Day

by Crossover_Critter



Series: HoodFlash [9]
Category: Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), The Flash (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Barry Allen is Keeping Secrets, Barry Allen is The Flash, Barry Allen is a widower, Barry Allen knows lying is bad, Bookstore Owner Jason Todd, Canon divergence mid-RHATO annual 2, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Guilt, Humor, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Jason Todd looks good no matter what, M/M, Overworked Barry Allen, They're both so clueless, hurt/comfurt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:54:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27436159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crossover_Critter/pseuds/Crossover_Critter
Summary: Barry's running on fumes.  Jason is finally back in town.  Unfortunately, ten minutes alone together is too much to ask for.
Relationships: Barry Allen/Iris Allen (past), Barry Allen/Jason Todd
Series: HoodFlash [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1828789
Comments: 19
Kudos: 76





	1. Chapter 1

The bell over the door _tinkles_ as Barry enters the shop, luxuriating in the feel of the air conditioning on his overheated skin – comes to standstill, tips his head back, and practically _moans_ in relief as he savors the icy blast.

For the last two weeks, Central City has been stuck in a heat wave (no relation to the eponymous villain, that would have been too easy), and he's been out on the streets working for most of it. Crime has been spiking, the heat driving everyone more than a little nuts.

_Except the Rogues_ , he thinks, who have been suspiciously absent.  _Not that I'm complaining._

Between stopping normal criminals before they commit crimes as The Flash and trying to track them down after the fact as part of CCPD, Barry has more than enough on his plate without Snart and his crew.

_Although I'm not going to lie, taking a hit from a cold gun right now might be a blessing in disguise._

The thought actually makes him shiver...pleasantly.

"Welcome to 'In Good Company,'" a friendly voice calls out. "Is there anything I can help you find today?"

Following the sound of the voice to his left, the scientist sees a young girl, probably in her mid-teens, leaning over the worn wooden countertop that serves as the cashier's desk. A colorful jumble of friendship bracelets are tied around her slim wrists, and her equally colorful hair has been woven into a thick braid that snakes around her shoulder and hangs several inches in front of her chest. She's shooting him a smile that's so earnest he can't help but return it in equal measure. "Good...." Barry quickly checks his watch, realizing he has no idea what time it is; pulling three double shifts in just over a week will do that. "...Morning. I'm looking for Jason. Is he around?"

"You mean Mr. Peters? He should be in the back. Let me give him a call."

"It's okay, Erin, I got it," a man's voice calls over the stacks. Slow footsteps come down the aisle, and then a mop of unruly black hair pokes around the corner. "I thought I heard a familiar someone." The rest of the Jason's body follows, the muscles in his arms bulging -- well, more than usual -- as he hefts a large box overflowing with books. With a grunt, he settles the load on top of three other more-neatly-packed boxes, brushes his hands off, and turns to face his boyfriend. "Well, this is a surprise."

_It is, indeed_ , Barry thinks, taking in the way beads of moisture outline Jason's features, how his t-shirt, damp from physical exertion, clings to his torso, the tight tug of his jeans over his legs outlining his thighs.... A laugh pulls him out of his reverie.

"Eyes are up here, babe," the younger man says with a sly grin.

The blond offers a sheepish smile and shrugs. "Sorry, I just...."  _Have an incredibly beautiful boyfriend,_ he finishes silently. God, he is so bad with words.

"S'alright, good to know you still like what you see. I can't be put together all the time." Jason closes the space between them and takes Barry's face in his hands, tilting it up for a kiss. It's just a quick press of lips, they have an audience after all, but after the days Barry's had, he practically melts into it, wrapping his arms tightly around Jason.

"Hello, Mr. Peters," Barry murmurs, dropping his head on his boyfriend's shoulder with a long exhale as some of the tension bleeds from his muscles. He misses Jason's answering eye roll.

"Only to people too young to vote or buy booze; makes me feel old."

Barry just _hums_ happily.

"You realize I'm completely nasty right now, right?" Jason says, hesitantly returning the embrace.

"Don't care. Missed you." Between Jason spending several days in Gotham on another "business trip," and the rising crime rate keeping both Barry and The Flash busy, it's been a while since they've physically been together. Barry was supposed to wait until tonight and meet his boyfriend upstairs at his flat (the man had just returned late the previous night), but he'd finished up early and found he couldn't wait. He smiles as he feels Jason's lips on the top of his head.

_Whrr-click._

The strange, mechanical sound comes from Barry's left, followed closely by a giggle and an alert from Jason's phone.

" _Hmm?_ " 

"Don't worry," Jason says exasperatedly, "that's just the sound of Erin getting herself fired."

Barry turns his head toward the counter in time to see said girl sticking her tongue out at her boss. The scientist is taken aback, but the younger man just _snorts_ and shakes his head. "Get those up on the website for me, please," Jason says gesturing to the boxes of books. "The schools just published their summer reading lists, and we'll have people asking for them."

"Will do, Mr. P." The girl sketches a sloppy salute before grabbing a laptop and a camera and settling down in front of the stack of boxes.

"Come on, let's get something to drink." Inclining his head towards the cafe that occupies a sectioned-off area of the front of the store, Jason takes his boyfriend's hand and leads him over to a table.

"Are all your employees so irreverent?"

"Ha!" the raven-haired man barks dryly. "I keep her around because, unlike most people her age, Erin can actually spell words like that." With a grin at Barry's pained look, Jason fishes out his phone, unlocks it, taps on the screen, and hands it to the other man. "Besides, that's what she was doing, so I figure she gets a pass."

The blond takes the device, a blush dusting his cheeks as he sees the picture of him and Jason embracing. _Huffing_ a laugh, he passes the phone back and settles in the chair the younger man pulls out from the table.

"What can I get you?"

Studying the drinks board with grave intent, Barry finally says, "Small coffee." At his boyfriend's raised eyebrows he adds, "If I don't have something I'm going to crash."

Having politely failed to comment on the dark circles under Barry's eyes, the younger man replies, "Some sleep might do you good. You can nap upstairs until I'm done here."

It's a logical suggestion, and a better idea than wearing a hole in the floor from nervously bouncing his leg at super speed. Besides, it's obvious his boyfriend still has plenty of work to do. "Fine," the scientist says, drawing out the syllables tiredly. "Lemonade." As Jason makes his way over to the barista, Barry rests his head on the table feeling every last one of the last eighty hours. From petty theft to armed robbery, assault and battery to murder, it's been almost non-stop. At this rate, it'll take several weeks to clear the evidence backlog. The only reason he's _not_ at the lab is because even Singh had to admit there was a finite amount of space for people to stand; at this point having a desk is optional.

"Here you go, babe." Jason sets the cup down, and then there's the scrape of wood on ceramic tile as the man takes his own seat.

Barry's head vibrates with the muffled _thump_ of Jason's mug hitting the table top as his eyes sluggishly settle on the sweating cup by his head. The straw is bent downwards, but not enough that he reach it without moving. Suddenly he's not sure it's worth the effort.

"You sure you don't just want to go to sleep?"

Barry blearily looks in his boyfriend's direction and finds Jason's expression caught between fondness and concern. It's (another) good idea, but he also knows that part of his exhaustion is due to low blood sugar; the lemonade will help, as will the specially formulated power bar in his pocket. "I'm good." Lifting his head as if it was made of lead and scrubbing a hand over his face, he takes a sip of the drink as he wrestles the smashed power bar out of his jeans and carefully opens the wrapper. Bracing himself for the taste of sweet coconut-flavored cardboard, he takes a bite and tries not to gag; there are clear downsides to having an off-the-charts metabolism. He manages two more bites before he has to down half his drink in an attempt to dislodge the gooey paste in his throat.

Reaching out to take Barry's hand, Jason threads their fingers together and presses a kiss to the older man's knuckles. "When was the last time you ate real food?"

The scientist thinks for a minute, but he honestly can't remember, so he just shrugs limply.

"I know you said on the phone it was bad, but...."

"It's worse," Barry interjects, bone-deep weariness dragging at his words. "It's like everyone has just decided to give in to their inner crazy -- smash windows, steal whatever they can grab, vandalize what they can't take with them. What I wouldn't give for the Rogues," he _moans_ , realizing he does, in fact, miss his own merry bunch of colorful, costumed wackos. At Jason's questioning glance, it dawns on him how odd that sounds and he hastens to add, "I...I mean we...as in CCPD...know the Rogues' M.O. Robbery is their thing, sometimes with stuff going boom or getting busted, but they seem almost tame compared to some of nut jobs we're dealing with. And the Rogues don't kill; the murder rate is through the roof."

"It wasn't me," Jason says off-handedly, lifting his mug. He freezes midway to his lips as he realizes what he just said; a glance across the table finds Barry looking at him strangely as he sips his own drink. "Sorry...uh...Gotham street humor," he mumbles, rubbing the back of his neck as he quickly tries to think of something believable and not stupid to explain his flub. "Kind of what you say to cops where I'm from. 'Wasn't me.'" He laughs weakly, internally kicking himself hard, because what the ever loving _fuck_ was that? His boyfriend nods slowly and Jason _sighs_ and tries to enjoy his tea _._

They both drink in silence for a few minutes before Barry's pants start to _chirp_. Jason honestly thinks the man might have given himself a concussion as hard as his head hits the table.

"Fuck."

The _groan_ is several seconds long, and the younger man struggles to suppress a totally inappropriate chuckle.

"Work?"

_No, it's the damn Justice League._ Barry just  _groans_ again _.  _ It's marginally better than lying.

"You can always ignore it and tell them you were sleeping."

_ Jason is officially the best boyfriend ever.  _ "You're the best boyfriend ever," Barry says, wincing as he picks his head back up off the table.

"You do need to sleep. You're going to hurt yourself." The concern in Jason's voice is tangible.

The  _ chirping _ continues, and the scientist slaps angrily at his pocket until the sound stops. For a second he just rubs his temples. "I'm sorry," he finally says, "I need to go." He shoves his chair back, needing a moment to steady himself once he's on his feet. As he finishes the rest of his lemonade and mentally counts the number of power bars he has up on the Watchtower, he feels Jason's arms curl around him as the other man stands and comes around the table.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Jason whispers into his ear. Against his chest, he feels Barry shake his head "no," the blond's eyes already drooping shut.

In the silence that follows, Jason thinks he's fallen asleep until he hears his boyfriend say, "Someone needs me." Finding enough energy, Barry pulls back and presses a chaste kiss to Jason's lips. "I'll be back tonight, I promise. Although I'll probably be a crap date. I'm sorry," he finishes, shoulders slumping. He knows this totally isn't fair to Jason.

"It's alright," the younger man says gently. "I'll make something light, we'll eat, we'll cuddle, fall asleep, and then I'll keep you in bed all day tomorrow."

"Best boyfriend ever," Barry repeats. With another kiss, he's heading for the door, pausing to offer what he hopes is a reassuring smile. Jason's frown doesn't ease. Feeling his stomach twist, Barry says, "I'll see you tonight," and then he's gone.

Moments later, once he's around the corner and out of view, The Flash keys his League transponder and disappears in a glow of soft white light.


	2. A Hard Day's Night

The key may as well have been made of mercury or jello or even lube for all the luck Barry's having actually inserting it into the lock. He's tired, his hands are shaking causing him to fumble, and he practically does a face plant into Jason's chest when his boyfriend opens the door, his brain too woolly to react swiftly enough to the barrier's sudden disappearance. The mortifying realization that Jason never actually gave him a key to his flat is jarred loose as he tumbles into the startled man.

"What the hell?" Jason curses, catching Barry awkwardly. "Barr? Are you alright?" His strong arms slip around the scientist's body, the only things keeping Barry from collapsing in a heap. "Barr?"

" _Hmmm?"_ the blond replies, barely coherent and lending singular focus to savoring Jason's warmth. He doesn't have a chance to say anything else, not that he could, before there's an arm hooked under his knees and another curled around back and he's being carried bridal style over to the sofa, Jason hip-checking the door closed behind them.

Despite the younger man's best attempts to seat his boyfriend upright, Barry's body stubbornly insists on listing to the side, muscles too weary to support himself. The blond's eyes drift closed as his head lolls, a pained  _moan_ escaping his lips.

"Barr? Babe? Are you hurt?" Jason asks, his fingers dancing lightly over his boyfriend's skin and clothing, checking for the obvious signs of injury and seeing none.

Barry manages to shake his head "no," because he's not – at least not anymore. He'd been thinking clearly enough to stay on the Watchtower until the cuts closed and the bruises faded, although some of the discomfort still lingers. The rib fracture is now hairline at worst; another hour or so and it'll be healed, too. Still, the older man wishes breathing was optional. When Jason doesn't say anything further, he cracks an eye open, the lid moving reluctantly upwards against gravity, and tries to focus on his boyfriend.

Jason's face is a study in worry, and Barry feels a pang of guilt in his gut. As his gaze drops, he notices the empty bowl and glass on the coffee table and suddenly realizes just how late it is. "I'm sorry," he says softly, his shoulders slumping, "I shouldn't have come over. I ruined your evening."

"You did warn me that you'd be a crap date," the younger man replies, trying for levity.

Barry still sees the brief flicker of disappointment on his face before it fades back into worry.

"I'm going to assume you still haven't eaten real food." Jason's eyes are narrowed, assessing, taking in the fine tremors that race up and down his boyfriend's limbs and the sickly pallor to his skin.

"I do not know these words you speak," Barry replies, also going for humor. The sentence comes out slightly slurred as his eyes droop closed again, giving up the fight. At the corner of his mind, he's aware of his boyfriend standing and moving away. From a distance comes the sounds of cabinets opening and closing, metal _clanging_ against metal, and then with nearly silent footsteps, Jason is back at the sofa.

Strong hands position the scientist upright once more – at least long enough for Jason to slip onto the cushion at Barry's side. Then, with a bleary  _ hum _ , the older man is allowed to flop gently back against the solid bulk of his boyfriend's torso. He feels Jason's laugh vibrate under his ear.

"No sleeping yet," the raven-haired man says firmly.

Barry feels him twist slightly, and he cracks open an eye long enough to see a spoon swim hazily into focus. His face scrunches as he cuddles closer, arms snaking around his boyfriend.

"Uh uh. Eat," Jason orders, his tone now more exasperated than amused.

There's a long moment – several nanoseconds – of internal debate before Barry lets his jaw drop open. He's too exhausted to lift his head, but somehow Jason still manages to aim the spoon well enough that none of the soup escapes. He lets the liquid sit on his tongue for a moment, savoring the flavors of cumin, garlic, and lemon, before humming a question.

"Lentil soup," Jason replies, angling another spoonful at Barry's lips. This one disappears without complaint, the first mouthful having awakened the scientist's hunger. Before long the bowl is empty, and the blond is  _ purring  _ sleepily. "Thought that might make you feel better," the younger man says, dropping a kiss to the top of Barry's head.

"Good cook," Barry mumbles, burying his nose in Jason's shirt and breathing him in.

"Thanks, babe." There's pause filled with uncertainty before Jason mentally shrugs and asks the obvious question. "What happened?"

Barry sucks in a breath and lets it out in one long, slow stream. He feels his heart start to jackrabbit in his chest as the too-bright images and a cacophony of sounds whirl through his thoughts. With effort, he manages to make his mouth work.

"A group of super villains decided to terrorize a small town for absolutely no reason that anyone – even Batman – could figure out.

"They took out the power grid and broke open a dam, almost flooding everything before Superman blocked the hole with this massive hunk of rock he carved out of the ground with his heat vision. Firestorm arrived late and was only able to transmute some of the escaped water into air or other harmless elements, so Aquaman and I tried to rescue those trapped in the flood path.

"But the water came so quickly and with so much force that we couldn't get to everyone in time no matter how hard we tried. And, of course, as we're trying to help, we had to fight off all the bad guys, who just kept coming and wouldn't stay down. And we couldn't do both at once, which means that we couldn't save everyone. People died. We couldn't save them all.

"I'm The Flash."

That's what he _wants_ to say.

"People died," is what he does say, the words swimming in tears. _Kids died. Parents died. Grandparents died. The bad guys fucking_ laughed _as people died._ Barry's hands fist in Jason's shirt, and a mournful sound escapes from his throat. He knows he's tired. He knows he's not thinking clearly. He knows he should probably eat more. It doesn't change the fact that right now it feels hopeless – like no matter what they do, what _he_ does, it'll never be enough.

He feels Jason's arms close around him, his boyfriend _murmuring_ words intended to be soothing and ease the tightness in his chest that is the product of both failure and his conscience. The scientist instead feels nauseous.

 _I'm The Flash_.

The words are on his lips, ready to be said – _wanting_ to be said. But he can't – not yet. It's too soon. He doesn't know how they'll be received. Doesn't know if this is even _real._ In their place, "I'm sorry" slips out. Barry feels the deep breath Jason draws in, hears the stuttered _puffs_ as it's expelled. He knows his boyfriend doesn't understand; his response proves it.

"You were trying to help people," the younger man says quietly. "You don't have to apologize. It's why you do what you do."

_I lied._ The speedster flinches away from the thought, drawing a noisy breath. "I ruined our evening."

Jason rests his head against Barry's, trying to shift through the myriad responses that wrestle in his thoughts. Words of comfort aren't his thing, and he  _was_ looking forward to their date given he'd spent so much time away; his boyfriend was like a lifeline whenever he felt Gotham getting under his skin – the siren call of the pit trying to draw him back. 

The silence stretches, and Jason still doesn't know what the "right" response is, but he has to say something, so he gives Batman the finger and goes with the truth. "I'm disappointed. I missed you, and I had more than a few ideas for what I wanted to do with you – and to you – tonight." He wills the over-the-top leer into his tone, forcing aside the judgment with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Barry can't help the way the corners of his lips tug upwards, even as remorse eats at his insides.

"But shit's gonna happen, and you're here now. So I'll call that a partial win and let you make the rest up to me later." Jason places a soft kiss in his boyfriend's hair and tightens his embrace, trying to take the sting out of his words.

_I lied. I'm sorry._ "Thank you," Barry replies, muffling his shame in the younger man's chest.

"You're welcome." Jason adds another kiss to the blond's neck. "Come on, what say we get some sleep – give your brain a chance to shut off for a bit." Because it's clear, even to someone as emotionally challenged as he is, that Barry is thinking way too much about this and being way to hard on himself.

 _I'm The Flash. I couldn't save them._ The thought is there and gone like lightning, and with it comes the sinking realization that he's not going to be able to sleep – at least not without a nightmare or twelve. _I'm sorry. I lied._ "Just want to sit. Want to be with you _._ Please." The last word comes out a plea. The beating of Jason's heart under his ear gives him something to focus on besides the ache. He realizes he hasn't looked his boyfriend in the eye once during the entire conversation.

Above him, Barry hears a resigned _sigh_ , and he feels himself being shifted as Jason makes himself comfortable on the sofa. An indeterminable amount of time later, as he's starting to drift off, Jason's hand carding gently through his hair, the older man hears his boyfriend speak.

"You know you can talk to me, right? I mean, when things happen – even bad things. I'm from Gotham, I've seen...stuff. There's not much that's going to scare me. I may not know what to say, but whatever you want to tell me, I'll listen."

_I'm The Flash._

Jason's words sound so sincere, and Barry can only hold his boyfriend tighter and nod, hoping one day soon he really can.


End file.
